


The Last

by aeilmy



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M, Oneshot, but barely, seriously you have to squint to see it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2019-06-26
Packaged: 2020-05-20 06:17:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19371106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aeilmy/pseuds/aeilmy
Summary: Who, What, When, Where, Why





	The Last

**Author's Note:**

> all rights go to Wongfu Productions, which totally and completely inspired the creation of this fic

It was quiet, peaceful. The sun shone through the windows of Lance’s apartment, a subtle hint that the day was passing and they should get up and do something. The boy on top of him shifted, and Lance tightened his arms around his waist. He didn’t want to get up just yet.

Keith lazily sat up, staring out the window for a bit. The other didn’t bother him. There was no need to. The silence was enough for them.

“How many were there before me?”

Lance’s eyes widened a bit. Did he hear that correctly?

Keith turned to look at him, genuine curiosity in his eyes.

“W-What?”

“How many people did you love before me?”

They stared at each other for a bit, the silence getting awkward. Keith cleared his throat, looking away. “Never mind. You don’t have to answer. I was just wondering, but obviously that was a weird question to ask-”

“Hey,” Lance chided. “It wasn’t weird at all. Just caught me off guard a little bit, but give me a sec. I have to think.”

He scrunched his face, thinking. How many people _had_ he loved before Keith? It was hard to recall if he ever truly loved anyone the way he loved Keith.

“ _Loved?_ ”

Keith nodded.

“Five.” Keith raised his brow.

“Who, What, When, Where, and Why.”

Lance paused, waiting for a teasing remark from the other about how vague he was being. There was none. He took a breath.

“Who I loved was a guy I idolized. We became good friends afterward, but before that… He was the perfect guy: honors student, charismatic person, dependable leader, and just great. Of course, I didn’t know him that well. But using the little interactions and things I’d heard here and there, I painted a picture of him that was… the ideal person.”

Lance paused for a second, recalling high cheekbones, a sharp jawline, and a strong chest. Hair like starlight popped up in his mind, grounding touches and meaningful words making him smile at the memory.

“And using that picture of him that I painted, he became an idol to me. Maybe it was superficial, but it meant a lot to me when I was younger,” he chuckled, “and when we finally talked for the first time, I realized he wasn’t the perfect guy I thought he was. I’ll admit, I was still starstruck for a while. But as time passed, that innocent crush turned into a familial love, and the young boy who idolized became a slightly older boy who saw the realities of a person that wasn’t untouchable anymore.”`

Lance’s eyes had drifted away while he was talking, and he brought his attention back to Keith. His boyfriend was leaning his head on drawn-in knees, gaze still focused on Lance. He took this as an invitation to continue, no protest coming from the other.

“What I loved was an old friend I made in high school.”

Lance closed his eyes, recalling round glasses, short hair, a shit-eating grin.

“When we first met, we didn’t exactly click. But as time went on, the classes we shared, the detentions we sat through, the teasing remarks we’d exchange... They became someone that I treasured dearly, almost like a sibling. Intelligence, wit, taste, they had it all. However, what we had was a relationship that was built on mutual respect and understanding, and neither of us wanted to cross the boundaries we’d placed.

“When I loved was my best friend. We met in elementary school, and I don’t think I’ve ever been so grateful for anyone else in my life, save for my family of course. It’s a little unfair, because high school is, as many people say, the best few years of your life. He was the embodiment of youth and love, my best friend. We shared so many adventures, making memories in the reckless things we did and the quiet moments at each other’s houses. When we were together, time was forgotten.”

Lance smiled, nostalgia catching up to him. The smell of freshly baked cookies, the cool feeling of face masks, and the adrenaline of running away from security guards ran through his mind all over again. He glanced at Keith sitting in front of him, and noticed something change in his eyes. Maybe a realization of whom he was referring to.

“Where I loved was a guy I met in Chicago. We met through his sibling, and I never meant to stay that long. I was just on a six-month internship, but before I knew it, years had passed. I couldn’t leave the city, couldn’t leave him. We shared inside jokes, pranked unwitting family members, and split late-night pizzas. Maybe it was my desire to be independent, to show my family that I could _do_ something on my own. He helped me accomplish that, without asking for a single thing in return. Our relationship was reflective of the city we were in: always changing like the wind, yet constant at its core. He became my confidante, someone I could call a brother. He and his whole family became a second home to me.”

A mischievous smile popped in his mind. Lance recalled belly-hurting laughter, stupid competitions over who could blow a straw into the other’s ear first, late-night typing from furiously trying to finish last-minute work. He remembered chestnut hair, a small facial scar. His eyes flicked over to Keith’s own scar, caused by an accident he’d had on his bike a few years ago.

Gently, he touched the darker patch of skin on Keith’s face. The other furrowed his brows, confused by the sudden gesture. Lance shook his head and chuckled softly.

“You still haven’t finished.”

“I’m getting there, Keith. Remember, patience yields focus.”

“Yeah, but –“ he was cut off by Lance’s finger on his mouth, promptly shushing him.

“Why I loved was a close friend of mine who passed away. She told me in the hospital that death wasn’t what saddened her the most, but the fact that she felt… she’d never really fallen in love.”

Lance’s voice cracked a little, his vision starting to blur. He recalled a kind, wide smile. Enthusiastic laughter, bright eyes that gave away every emotion she felt. He recalled perfect posture, graceful actions, a confident stride. He recalled the smell of hospital disinfectant, the bright white lights, the beeping of the heart monitor.

Before he knew it, the tears were falling, and he tried blinking them away. Lance felt, more than saw, Keith’s hand reaching toward his face. The tears were wiped away before they could fall any further than his chin. Slowly, carefully, Keith brought their foreheads together. Lance took a deep breath, pausing for a second.

“She’d never get to feel those emotions, experience the good or bad. The flutter of butterflies from a crush, the heartbreak from an ending love. After she passed, those words stuck with me the most. They taught me that some of the best things we have in life are the ability to give, receive, and even lose love. So many like her never get the chance to experience that. What is living life if we don’t strive to love, to take chances? She helped me understand: Why waste a life not loving?”

He looked into Keith’s eyes, so close to his. In them, he could blatantly see concern, worry, and most of all, an understanding.

“I understand now,” Keith whispered. He closed his eyes.

They stayed like that for a bit. Lance brought his hands up, cupping Keith’s face. He looked directly in his eyes, and all of his emotions swirled together into one big clump of pure, genuine, adoration.

Adoration for the person sitting in front of him, for the person that he grew to become. Adoration for the quiet, awkward classmate he was “rivals” with, for the boy that expressed all of his emotions through his actions. Adoration for the man that he would become, the man that Lance knew would change the world. He’d already changed Lance’s.

“You are the sixth,” he murmured.

Keith cocked his head, “So which one of them am I then?”

“You are none of them, because you are _all_ of them.

“You are Who I love: the man of legends, the fairytale prince, the painted image that is actually real.”

Keith’s impossibly perfect test scores, his graceful actions, and his uncanny ability to master _anything_ flashed through Lance’s mind. Lance looked at Keith’s face, and thought, not for the first time, just how lucky he was.

“You are What I love: the inside jokes, the shared moments, the laughter.”

He remembered their terrible attempt at a chant; him falling flat on his butt after missing the chair behind him while FaceTiming Keith; them arguing about the correct way to eat a hotdog.

“You are When I love: a new story is beginning with you, and we are the young lovers that our older selves will someday reminisce about.”

He envisioned themselves as old men, still together and just as happy as they were now. Maybe they’d have kids. Maybe a dog. Maybe even a cow. The possibilities were endless.

“You are Where I love, because with you, there are no borders or limitations. I would go anywhere just to be with you.”

Lance remembered the first time they fought about their future. Each of them had different visions, and multiple problems came up. Where they would live, how they would keep in touch, if the relationship was even worth the struggle that would come with distance. But eventually, they comprised. Because they were a team. Because they were Keith and Lance.

Lance’s voice lowered, and he took Keith’s hands in his.

“You are Why I love, because before you, I never understood what exactly I was searching for. The past, the present, the future: you gave them all meaning. You are the reason within the chaos, the light within the darkness, the red to my blue.”

Keith smiling. Keith laughing. Keith sleeping. Keith joking. Keith glaring. Keith biting his lip while he held in his laughter. Keith furrowing his eyebrows in concentration at his current task. Even Keith when he was angry at Lance, fire burning in his eyes and mouth twisted into a snarl. He loved all the things Keith did.

Keith as his classmate, unaware of his surroundings, least of all Lance.

Keith as his boyfriend, sitting across from him and running his fingers over Lance’s knuckles.

Keith as his husband, growing old and wrinkly with Lance, still just as temperamental and still just as caring.

He loved all the Keiths, past, present, and future.

Lance couldn’t help but kiss Keith, a quick peck that left them both smiling.

“You are the sixth. You are the last.”

He brought their interlaced hands toward his mouth. Kissing the other’s knuckles, he chuckled a bit before asking: “So how many were there before me?”

Keith smiled crookedly, a sparkle in his eyes.

“Five,” he responded. Lance raised an eyebrow.

“Who, What, When, Where, Why.”

**Author's Note:**

> it's been a loooonggggg time guys  
> hello! i'm still alive! my sister is too, but barely. we're both in Vietnam right now, so i'm uncharacteristically posting very very early in the morning (at least in comparison to time in the States)  
> anyway, it's un poco aburrido here, and I was struck by a random bout of inspiration because my mind is PowErfUL  
> just kidding it's just a lot of cheese  
> anyway!! most of the feelings in this fic are platonic, save for keith and lance's. i didn't tag the other characters because that would've given away the story, but i hope i made it obvious enough for you guys to guess. brownie points for anyone who guesses all of the people lance was referring to (because one of them is a bit ambiguous) and extra bonus points for anyone who recognizes the manga the last chunk was inspired by  
> this author's note is getting long but i'm excited to interact with you guys again !! okay byr hoprfully we'll meet again soon


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